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Thursday, March 12, 2009

I'm on vacation so no more posts for a few days. But here is a little video explaining the reasons why Mormons build temples. If you're the reading type you can find more information on the purpose of temples on the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

This morning Deb and I went to the open house for the Draper, Utah temple. The edifice is beautiful in both design and purpose.

Before a new temple is dedicated and its doors closed to all but faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, any person, Church member or not, may tour the building and learn more about its sacred purpose in God's plan for us, His children.

Once dedicated the Draper, Utah temple will be the 129th operating LDS temple in the world. Amazingly, in my lifetime I've witnessed that number grow from under 50 temples to where it is today. Truly the Lord is blessing us all by bringing the blessings of the holy temples to peoples around the world.

A temple is different than a meeting house, or chapel. Everyone is welcome to come to an LDS worship service, but temple attendance is reserved for faithful members of the Church.

The purpose of temples is to teach God's children His eternal plan for them. There we learn more fully the answers to "life's great questions" such as where do I come from, why am I here, and where do I go after this life.The idea of the temple is not a new one. In fact, temples have been the center of worship in all civilizations in all ages of the world. The ancient Jews had the tabernacle in the time of Moses, Solomon's temple and its successor after the Babylonian captivity, and the temple of Herod which stood in Jesus' day. Jesus Himself cherished the temple and honored its sanctity, driving out the money changers on two different occasions. Modern scholars such as Hugh Nibley and Margaret Barker have greatly increased our understanding of the centrality of the temple in ancient religious thought and worship.

I am grateful for the blessings of the temple. When I married Deb, I did so in the Boise, Idaho temple. There we received the promise that if we remain faithful to God our marriage relationship will not end at death but endure for eternity. Knowing how much I love her now and that cultivated love tends to grow, I rejoice in the prospect of staying by her side forever. Through temple worship I have a better understanding of Paul's statement to the ancient Corinthians, "neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:11).

You too may enjoy all the blessings of the temple, God has commanded none to not partake of all that He has in store for His children. Instead, God has given His Son Jesus Christ to stand as the supreme example in whose footsteps we must follow. To learn more about God's plan of happiness, please visit www.mormon.org or ask me a question through the comments feature below.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Dr. Eyring was a remarkable scientist, publishing over 600 scientific papers in his career. He was also widely known for his unshakable faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He ardently defended both science and religion, often passing on the wisdom given him by his father: "In this Church you don't have to believe anything that isn't true."

I recommend this book to everyone: to those interested in chemistry, to those who are not; to those interested in prominent Mormons, to those who are not. Why? Because Dr. Eyring lived a life worthy of study and emulation. We can only amass precious little by our own experiences, why not study good admirable lives and learn what others have to teach us?

Monday, March 2, 2009

Self-reliance is an important principle to Latter-day Saints (Mormons). The ability to take care of one's own needs, and the needs of one's family, is something many of us have long taken for granted. But these hard economic times we are experiencing are bringing the importance of self-reliance into greater relief.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to helping its members and friends of all faiths develop greater self-reliance. Mormons are not an insular people who only take care of their own. We subscribe to and seek to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ on social justice, equating our service to our fellow brothers and sisters of humanity with service to God.

This video illustrates the efforts the Church is making to ensure that people around the world establish the principle of self-reliance in their lives.